Thursday, October 27, 2016

Authorities were on Thursday looking into accommodation options for residents of earthquake-hit towns in central Italy after thousands of people were forced out of their homes overnight.

While visiting Visso and Ussita _ two of the towns most affected by Wednesday's earthquakes _ Italy's civil protection chief Fabrizio Curcio said that authorities were looking into hotel rooms for those affected.

Curcio said that efforts were being made to find solutions to house a population that could not be accommodated in tents, given the current wintry weather conditions.

He said the only solution was to find hotel rooms along the nearby Adriatic Coast, and that this should be done as soon as possible as people could not be expected to sleep in cars or shops.

Meanwhile, the Italian government announced that it would make 40 million euros ($43.7 million) available to assist those affected.

A temblor of 5.4-magnitude struck central Italy on Wednesday evening, followed two hours later by another of 5.9-magnitude.

The quakes came just two months after a devastating earthquake struck the same region, killing 297 people and destroying entire towns.

While no deaths have been reported this time, buildings sustained significant damages and more than 3,000 people have been forced out of their homes amid fears of further tremors.

People were already out on the streets when the second, more powerful earthquake hit Wednesday, limiting injuries.

Those affected included residents of the towns of Camerino, Muccia, Visso, Ussita and Castelsantangelo sul Nera, in Italy's Marche region.

Several aftershocks ranging between magnitudes 3-4 were felt overnight and into Thursday, according to data supplied by the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.
EFE
27/10/16
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